Easy Tricks to Producing Treats for the At-Home Halloween Festivities

If you are planning an at-home Halloween for children this year, here are a few desserts for treats after the tricks.

Some are hauntingly simple, using cut and bake refrigerator dough; others require a few hours preparation. Old-fashioned cakes, such as Coca-Cola Cake and Carrot Cupcakes, appeal to youngsters and adults alike.

All can be dressed in Halloween decorations, using store-bought, stick-on garnishes or tinted tube icings or confections.

For instance, the Carrot Cupcakes can be decorated with black or red licorice strands for cat whiskers and orange or black gumdrops for eyes. The frosting on cakes can be drizzled with melted chocolate for an eerie appearance or piped with chocolate icing in shapes to resemble ghosts and goblins.

HALLOWEEN CAT

2 (16-ounce) packages pound cake mix

1 1/2 cups milk

4 eggs

2 (16-ounce) cans vanilla ready-to-spread frosting

1/2 cup dark chocolate ready-to-spread frosting

In large bowl, combine both packages pound cake mix. Mix, according to package directions, using milk and eggs. Spoon about 1/2 cup batter into each of 2 (6-ounce) greased custard cups, 3 cups batter into greased 1-quart oven-proof mixing bowl and remaining batter into greased 9-inch square pan. Bake at 325 degrees, removing custard cups after 30 minutes, and bowl and baking pan after 1 hour. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

Cut 1-inch wide slice and 2-inch wide slice from 1 side of 9-inch square. On serving board, arrange remaining 9x6-inch piece of cake for body and inverted 1-quart bowl cake for head. Split 2-inch wide piece of cake horizontally and lay side-by-side on top of 9x6-inch piece for stomach. Angle 1-inch piece off bottom right side of body for tail. Split 1 custard cup cake in half and place, cut side down, below body for feet. Cut remaining custard cup cake in half; place cut side down and cut into triangular pieces (scraps can be eaten). Arrange at top of head for ears.

In medium bowl, with electric mixer, beat 2 cans vanilla ready-to-spread frosting and chocolate syrup until smooth and fluffy. Frost cake. Spoon dark chocolate frosting into decorator bag fitted with writing tip. Use to draw face and outline body of cat.

COCA-COLA CAKE

1 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup cocoa

1 cup Coca-Cola

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs, beaten

12 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Frosting

In saucepan, heat butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola to boiling. Add flour, sugar and soda and mix gently. Stir in buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and marshmallows. Pour into greased 13x9-inch pan. bake at 350 degrees 30 to 35 minutes. Cake can be frosted while warm. Decorate Frosting with tinted frosting, candied, tinted coconut and sugars, if desired. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup cocoa

6 tablespoons Coca-Cola

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar, sifted

12 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup nuts

In saucepan, heat butter, cocoa and Coca-Cola to boiling. Add marshmallows, stirring until dissolved. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Stir in nuts. Spread over warm cake.

CARROT CUPCAKES

2 1/4 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup mashed cooked carrots

1/2 cup milk

Licorice strands, gum drops

Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and allspice. Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and carrots. Add milk alternately with dry ingredients, stirring until smooth after each addition. Turn into muffin cups that have been greased or lined with paper liners. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 35 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched lightly. Cool on wire racks. Decorate with licorice strands or gumdrops. Makes 16 cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE GHOST CAKE

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups unsifted flour

2/3 cup cocoa

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups water

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

3 tubes decorating icing (white, blue, yellow)

Combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with water to creamed mixture. Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch layer pans. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes for squares, 30 to 35 minutes for rounds or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool completely. Frost with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting. With writing tip on tube of white icing, pipe outline of ghost on top of cake. Use blue icing for eyes. With star tip on tube of yellow icing place stars around ghost figure. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

2 2/3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

5 to 6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter in small mixer bowl. Add powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting.

GOBLIN’S CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups unsifted flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large mixer. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until well combined, abut 3 minutes. Fill paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full with cake batter. Spoon about 1 tablespoon Filling into center of each cupcake. Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 25 minutes or until cake tester inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Filling

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 drops yellow food color

3 drops red food color

1 to 2 teaspoons grated orange peel, optional

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg, salt, food color and orange peel, if desired, in small mixer bowl. Beat until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

FILLED CHOCOLATE COOKIES

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups unsifted flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Orange Cream Filling

Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. bake at 350 degrees 8 to 9 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cookies will be soft. They will puff during baking, and flatten upon cooling. Cool on cookie sheet until set, about 1 minute. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Press cookies together in pairs with Orange Cream Filling. About 2 dozen cookies.

Orange Cream Filling

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Yellow or red food color

Cream butter in small mixer bowl. Add sugar alternately with milk. Beat to spreading consistency. Add vanilla. Add food color in drops for desired orange color. Makes about 2 cups frosting.

Recipe variation: For frozen sandwiches, omit Orange Cream Filling. Spoon orange sherbet into 2 clean 12-ounce cans. Cover open end with foil. Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Remove foil and other end of can. Press on 1 end, forcing sherbet out. With sharp knife cut sherbet into 12 slices about 3/8-inch thick. Place sherbet slice between 2 cooled cookies or place scoop of sherbet between cooled cookies, pressing together lightly. Wrap and freeze or serve immediately.